Ticks parasitizing cold-blooded animals from three different Brazilian biomes; with note for males of Amblyomma rotundatum

Hermes Ribeiro Luz; Carlos Eduardo Costa de Campos; Livio Martins Costa-Junior; Ercileide Silva Santos; Adriani Hass; Dauana Mesquita Sousa; Ruth Myrian de Moares E Silva; Josiane Moreira Rocha; George Rego Albuquerque; Antonio Jorge Argolo; Rogério Zacariotti; Catia Dejuste de Paula; Luiz Cezar Machado Pereira; Patricia Avello Nicola; João Luiz Horacio Faccini; Mauricio Claudio Horta; Rafael Michael Silva Nogueira; Leonardo Teixeira DallAgnol; Marcelo Bahia Labruna; Thiago Fernandes Martins

doi:10.1016/j.ttbdis.2024.102377

Ticks parasitizing cold-blooded animals from three different Brazilian biomes; with note for males of Amblyomma rotundatum

Ticks Tick Borne Dis. 2024 Jul 15;15(6):102377. doi: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2024.102377. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Hermes Ribeiro Luz¹, Carlos Eduardo Costa de Campos², Livio Martins Costa-Junior³, Ercileide Silva Santos², Adriani Hass⁴, Dauana Mesquita Sousa³, Ruth Myrian de Moares E Silva⁵, Josiane Moreira Rocha⁶, George Rego Albuquerque⁶, Antonio Jorge Argolo⁷, Rogério Zacariotti⁸, Catia Dejuste de Paula⁹, Luiz Cezar Machado Pereira¹⁰, Patricia Avello Nicola¹⁰, João Luiz Horacio Faccini¹¹, Mauricio Claudio Horta¹⁰, Rafael Michael Silva Nogueira¹², Leonardo Teixeira DallAgnol¹², Marcelo Bahia Labruna¹³, Thiago Fernandes Martins¹⁴

Affiliations

¹ Parasite Control Laboratory. Post-Graduation Program in Northeast Biotechnology Network (RENORBIO), Biodiversity and Conservation, Health and Environment of Center of Biological and Health Sciences, Federal University of Maranhão, São Luís, MA 65085-580, Brazil. Electronic address: [email protected].
² Department of Biological and Health Sciences, Herpetology Laboratory, Bionorte Network Postgraduate Program in Biodiversity and Biotechnology, Federal University of Amapá, Rod. Juscelino Kubitscheck, km 02 - Jardim Marco Zero, Macapá, AP 68903-419, Brazil.
³ Parasite Control Laboratory, Health and Environment of Center of Biological and Health Sciences, Federal University of Maranhão, São Luís, MA 65085-580, Brazil.
⁴ Vertebrate Ecology and Conservation Laboratory, Center of Biological and Health Sciences, Federal University of Maranhão, São Luís, MA 65085-580, Brazil.
⁵ Parasite Control Laboratory. Post-Graduation Program in Biodiversity and Conservation of Center of Biological and Health Sciences, Federal University of Maranhão, São Luís, MA 65085-580, Brazil.
⁶ Postgraduate Program in Animal Science, State University of Santa Cruz, Rod. Jorge Amado, Km 16 - Salobrinho, Ilhéus, BA 45662-900, Brazil.
⁷ Postgraduate Program in Zoology, State University of Santa Cruz, Rod. Jorge Amado, Km 16 - Salobrinho, Ilhéus, BA 45662-900, Brazil.
⁸ Wild cuesta institute, São Paulo, Brazil.
⁹ Wild Animal Medicine, Fluminense Federal University, Niterói, RJ 24220-900, Brazil.
¹⁰ Federal University of Vale do São Francisco, Juazeiro, BA 48902-300, Brazil.
¹¹ Parasite Control Laboratory. Post-Graduation Program in Northeast Biotechnology Network (RENORBIO), Biodiversity and Conservation, Health and Environment of Center of Biological and Health Sciences, Federal University of Maranhão, São Luís, MA 65085-580, Brazil.
¹² Post-Graduation Program in Health and Environment, Federal University of Maranhão, São Luís, MA 65085-580, Brazil.
¹³ Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP 05508-270, Brazil.
¹⁴ Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP 05508-270, Brazil; São Paulo State Department of Health, Pasteur Institute, São Paulo, SP 05402-000, Brazil.

PMID: 39013352
DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2024.102377

Abstract

Ticks parasitize a wide variety of wild animals, including amphibians and reptiles. In addition to the possibility of microorganism transmission to these hosts, ticks can also cause severe bleeding, and high parasitism can lead to death. Therefore, knowing the diversity of ticks parasitizing amphibians and reptiles is important for conservation and preservation measures for these vertebrates. In the present study, we report parasitism by ticks in amphibians and reptiles from different Brazilian biomes (Amazon, Caatinga, Cerrado and Atlantic Forest). Ticks were collected from amphibians and reptiles deposited from the Herpetological Collection of the Federal University of Maranhão (UFMA), São Luís (Maranhão State), the State University Santa Cruz (UESC), Ilhéus (Bahia State), and the Federal University of São Francisco Valley (Univasf), Petrolina (Pernambuco State). Additionally, ticks were collected from amphibians and reptiles captured and road-killed in the Amazon biome, at Maranhão and Amapá States. Specimens of ticks were photographed under a Zeiss stereomicroscope (5.1 zoom). Map with the locations were made using the Qgis program. Overall, 1973 specimens of amphibians and reptiles were examined. A total of 927 ticks were collected: 98 larvae, 421 nymphs and 408 adults. Six species of ticks were identified: Amblyomma rotundatum and Amblyomma dissimile the most frequent, and Amblyomma cajennense sensu stricto, Amblyomma sculptum, Amblyomma nodosum and Amblyomma humerale, occasionally. Surprisingly, a total of twelve males of A. rotundatum were collected. Here we report new records of association between cold-blooded animals and ticks and reinforce the absence of A. dissimile in the Caatinga, Cerrado and Atlantic Forest biomes. Additionally, we report new records of A. rotundatum males on reptiles in the Amazon biome. This last record allows us to speculate about a possible association of A. rotundatum males with reptiles and the Amazon biome.

Keywords: Amphibians; Biomes; Brazil; Ixodidae; Reptiles; Ticks.